President Akuffo-Addo in his fourth address to the country, Friday evening, on updates on measures the country has taken in relation to the novel coronavirus has announced a lockdown in some parts of the country identified as “hotspots” of the global epidemic as legitimized by the recently passed Imposition of Restrictions Bill 2020.
These areas, which are in the Greater Accra and Ashanti Regions will see a two weeks lockdown starting Monday, whiles measures are implemented to check spread of the disease.
“…prevailing circumstances mean that stricter measures have to be put in place to contain and halt the spread of the disease within our country especially in Accra, Tema, Kasoa and Kumasi which have been identified by the Ghana Health Service as the hotspots of the infection. In doing this, we cannot afford to copy blindly and do all the things some other well developed countries are doing. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this pandemic. We have a unique situation in our country and we must take it into account in dealing with the disease” he said in his opening statement.
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Affected areas in the Greater Accra Region include Accra and Tema Metropolis as well as the municipalities of Tema West, Ledzokuku, Krowor , Adentan , Ashiaman , La-Nkwantanan-Madina, La-Dadekotopon, Okaikwei North, Ablekuma North, West and Central; Ayawaso East, West, North and Central, Ga-West, North, Central, South and East, Korle-Klottey , Weija-Gbawe , Kpone-Katamanso and Awutu-Senya East.
Affected areas in the Ashanti region are the Kumasi Metropolis, Municipalities of Asokwa, Suame, Old-Tafo, Oforikrom, Asokore Mampong, Kwadaso, Atwima Nwobiegya, Kwabre-East, Ejisu, and districts of Afigya-Kwabre South, Bosomtwe, Atwima-Kwanwoma and Atwima-Nwobiagya-North.
General Impositions
President Akuffo-Addo noted that during this period, all residents in these areas affected by the lockdown are to stay at home for the next 2 weeks with the exception that where one will go out, it must be for essential items like food, medicine, water, undertaking banking transactions and using public toilet facilities. “As much as possible, stay at home” he stressed.
Transportation
On arrangement of transportation in the said areas within the two weeks period, the president noted that there will be no inter-city movement of vehicles and aircrafts for private or commercial purposes except for vehicles and air crafts providing essential services and those carrying cargo. Again, Riders of motor bikes are not allowed to carry any additional persons and passenger vehicles such as TroTro and Taxi must reduce the number of passengers in order to observe appropriate social distancing and hygiene protocols. All commercial vehicle stations are also to observe appropriate hygiene protocols and social distancing.
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Food
On the essential commodity of food, the president noted that only persons involved in the food value chain can operate in the markets during this period.
“The ministry of local government and rural development has also engaged the metropolitan, municipal and district assemblies and the leaders of the market associations in the country to make satisfactory arrangements about the operations of the markets that ensure the observance of social distancing and enhanced hygiene protocols.” he added.
Exceptions
The restrictions outlined made provisions for some essential services that will be needed within the said period. As such, people working in those parts of the economy will continue with work in the said period. They include members of the executive, legislature and judiciary; production, distribution and marketing of food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, medicine; paper and plastic packages.
Others in the fields of environmental and sanitation activities, staff of VALCO, Road and Railway Construction workers. Mining workers, fisher folks, members of the security agencies assigned lawful duties; Staff of the electricity, water, telecommunications, e-commerce and digital service providers as well as staffs of filling station are exempted.
Contact Tracing
President Akuffo-Addo also outlined some measures that had been put in place to help accelerate the contact tracing process “to curtail the spread of the virus in the shortest time”. These measures were primarily the inclusion of military and police personnel to assist health authorities and a policy to pursue the testing of all contacts of people tested positive.
Logistics & Measures Employed
In outlining the country’s logistical preparedness in combating the pandemic, the president said “It is very important that we protect all health care providers with personal protective equipment to make sure that they do not contract the virus in the process of protecting our lives”. In that regard he revealed that government is taking delivery of additional Personal Protective Equipments (PPE’s) and more.
According to the president, distribution of 17,000 cover-alls, 350,000 masks, 17,000 goggles, 2,400 non-contact thermometers, 350,000 gloves, 25,000 sanitizers, and 30,000 test kits are ongoing for health personnel and those undertaking contact tracing and testing. 100 Pick-up vehicles and 2,500 tablets have also been mobilized for the exercise. Additionally, 1000 community health workers and an additional 1000 volunteers have been recruited to help.
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Measures that have been put in place to strengthen the surveillance and awareness process include the selection of facilities for mandatory quarantine and affected areas and all other regions having earmarked, designated isolation and treatment centers for the management of suspected and confirmed cases which according to him are being carried out. Furthermore, the president also revealed that intensive public health education and community awareness on social distancing and hand washing will be carried out.
In what went down as a passionate and appealing call, President Akuff-Addo called on Ghanaians to strictly adhere to the prevention protocols as that is a sure way of figghting the disease.
” We can defeat this virus if we all commit ourselves to respecting all the measures that have been outlined. I’m confident that Ghanaians will comply with them and the security services will not have to intervene with extra-ordinary means to enforce them. The love of country is deeply embedded in all of us and I assure you that the security forces will conduct themselves with the necessary professionalism” he said.
